Telstra to confirm set-top box, cable upgrade

UPDATE: Telstra takes Melbourne cable network to 100mbps

Telstra has told the press it will today announce an upgrade to its cable broadband network and unveil a "new high definition set-top box".

Telstra's group managing directors, Michael Rocca, Holly Kramer and Glenice Maclellan will gather in Melbourne for an "important broadband announcement" and a preview of Telstra's "new high definition set top box," the company said in a statement to media yesterday afternoon.

In May of this year, Telstra announced it would upgrade all of its Melbourne cable network to speeds of 100 Megabits per second by Christmas.

"We can take it if we choose, at some point to 200 Megabit per second," said previous Telstra CEO Sol Trujillo in May.

Trujillo said the technology would "turn homes into digital hubs" for the consumption of high-definition films, video file sharing and video conferencing.

At the time Telstra had been waiting for the DOCSIS 3.0 technology that underpins the 100 Megabits per second upgrade to be successfully deployed in cable networks overseas before it committed to the investment in Melbourne.

Trujillo had also threatened to roll out the same high speed broadband technology in other capital cities, in response to Government plans to roll out a National Broadband Network (NBN).

The set top box, or T-box, will make it possible for Telstra customers to download and watch movies using Telstra sites such as BigPond movies, or watch BigPond's IPTV channels, including news and sport, all without running up any additional charges, reports news.com.au.

Will the "upgrade announcement to cable broadband by Telstra" take faster cable broadband to all capital cities? Tune into iTnews later today to find out.